4 track help & questions.

Hello everyone!
I'm glad to be here, and i'm hoping to meet all fo you regulars here. First off, if this is in the wrong section, i apologize. Beofre I get to my question, I want to describe my background, so you can save time in your responses.

I have done a demo tape before. The source of all audio was a digital camera. I ripped the audio to .WAV files using RAD video tools. I have basic understanding of Audacity - i can edit, cut, fadein/out, apply reverb, adjust gain, and so on. I have used Reaper mainly for the VST's and over all effects. The reception of my EP/Demo has been good, but my friends say it's time to upgrade.

Fair enough. I've been thinking of getting a Tascam digital four track, a dynamic mic by Shure, and a boom mic stand, and a windscreen/pop filter for the mic to double for vocal duties as well.

For guitar, i have a cheap walmart guitar, tone to the max, volume cranked to the max. It has a singe humbucker.
For bass, I use a 1970s Aria bass. Dual humbuckers, classic jazzy tone to pop against the grit of the guitar.
Drums - done by a friend.
Vocals - myself, without a mic in an acoustic room.

And only one amplifer for the guitar and bass - a spider II 30watt, with one 12" cab. Said amplifier has a Record Out line. Should i put the record out line right into the 4 track? I asked a friend, and he said it's better to Mic the amp. Fair enough. I can mic the amp. But what do you guys think?

With a four track, should I also get a mixer? Which? Will the mic record straight into the 4 track(I have a chord that fits the job)?

thanks guys, I'll think of more questions as it moves along. I do not need great quality, just something a bit better then ripping audio off a digital camera.

Direct in will be better than your camera, A mic in front of the amp will potentially give you a more realistic sound. It may or may not be the type of sound you're looking for. The easiest way to find out is simply to just do it. That will give you more info than all the words here can do.
Mixer is probably not needed at this point. The Tascam probably has provisions for basic mixing. (supply model number for further assistance)

Although, my biggest interest is how do you record your vocals without a mic?

I use the built in digital camera microphone, not an external mic, the same way as all the other instruments. in audacity, i clear up any "air noise/hum" between the vocals using the "generate silence" feature. Not the best way, and is time consuming, but it clears the space up...

Anyways, here's a link to the 4 track in question: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Tascam-DP004-Portable-4track-Digital-Multitrack-Recorder?sku=250011

(Dead Link Removed)

Anyways, i'm thinking it'll at least go okay - i cna always mix the guitar and bass down to one track to makie room, if needed. The bass will more then lilely be very low on the mix altogether anyways. The USB feature will let me work in audacity, etc. anyways. So why not?

Just for future refernce, is there any easy way to amplify my mic? I mean, i don't have anything to plug it into now, but i could always mic up a PA system or something, right?
Any suggestions on something cheap? I'm not going to be doing anything live, so.